The night before a possible snow day: a parent’s checklist

Read the forecast for timing, not just totals

Look at when the snow starts and stops, whether freezing rain is possible, and the morning wind chill. Snow that ends well before the buses run is easier to clear than the same amount still falling at 6 am. The Snow Day Calculator’s forecast mode shows snow before 6 am, from 6 to 9 am, and during the school day for the next two school mornings.

Know what the alert names mean

The National Weather Service uses Winter Weather Advisories, Winter Storm Warnings and Ice Storm Warnings, and its criteria differ by office. The Omaha page describes ice storm warnings as generally ¼ inch or more of ice in 12 hours or less, and Raleigh uses ¼ inch of freezing rain on elevated surfaces as a warning level. Check your local NWS office for the exact criteria that apply to you. Alerts are not school decisions.

Set up the alerts your district uses

Districts announce through several channels at once: alert systems, websites, social media and local media. Walla Walla and Stoughton both aim to begin announcing by about 6 a.m., and Central Dauphin asks families not to phone school offices. Know where your district posts, and check it before you leave home.

Plan for each outcome

Plan for three versions of the morning.

• Delay: expect a later start. Stoughton’s elementary delay start is 9:45 a.m., and breakfast is not served on its delay days.
• Closure: line up child care or work-from-home options, and a plan for meals your child would get at school.
• Remote day: check that the device is charged and that your child knows how to log in.

Use your own judgment

Some districts say parents may keep students home when school is open if they judge the roads unsafe. Check your district’s policy on absences for weather, and contact the school if your child will be out.

Look again in the morning

Forecasts change overnight, and districts often decide in the early morning. Check the Snow Day Calculator and your district’s alerts again before 6 am, and treat a sudden change in the forecast as a reason to expect a late decision.